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New employee information on the "extended Christmas break"

The current energy crisis once again poses enormous challenges to us as a society and to the University of Erfurt. Even though universities in Germany are among the most protected institutions in terms of energy supply, we are called upon to make significant energy savings against the backdrop of a responsibility to society as a whole, but also very specifically by the state and the federal government. We take this responsibility seriously.

Against this background, the Presidium had already decided in September, on the recommendation of the "Energy Emergency Planning Group", that all courses should be offered online in the week before and after the lecture break at the turn of the year. In order to save energy in the long term, during this period – i.e. from December 19, 2022 to January 13, 2023 – employees shoult also work from home as far as possible. The return to offices on campus should be in the new year on January 16.

The Department 2: Human Resources, in coordination with the Staff Council, has prepared an employee information sheet that clarifies the details and can be found on the University of Erfurt website (in German only).

Please note: During the "extended Christmas break", the opening hours of some service facilities on campus will be changed. You will find an overview here on our website shortly - please take note.

FAQ on the "extended Christmas break

For which period does the "extended Christmas break" apply?

Presence on campus will be suspended as much as possible from December 19, 2022 to January 16, 2023.

For students, this will extend the two-week lecture-free period by two weeks of online teaching (one before and one after the regular lecture break). Employees are to switch to working from home as far as possible during the aforementioned period.

What applies if I cannot work from home for certain reasons?

If your job is not suitable for working from home or other reasons speak against this, we ask you to coordinate with your supervisor(s) how on-site work on campus can be arranged.

+++ Please note that, according to federal regulations, temperatures in the offices are reduced to 19 degrees Celsius during the current heating period, and private heating devices (e.g. electric fan heaters, electric blankets) may not be used in the offices for safety reasons. +++

Is it possible to borrow a laptop from the University Computer and Media Centre for my working from home?

The University Computer and Media Center provides a limited number of loaner devices. Please discuss with the colleagues on site whether they can provide you with one.

How can my availability by phone be ensured - can I divert my work phone to my private phone?

Using a so-called soft client, it is possible to redirect the business telephone to the computer or laptop at home. However, this requires that the device is administered by the University Computer and Media Center (URMZ) and that you have a headset. The soft client is set up via distribution through the URMZ. The supervisors or department heads are asked to inquire about the needs in their departments/areas and to forward them to the URMZ . To set up the device, the colleagues in the University Computer and Media Centre need the inventory number of the terminal device and the telephone number of the service telephone.

Alternatively, you currently only have the option of a WebEx meeting.

We urgently request that you refrain from forwarding your work phone to your private (mobile) phone, as this could result in high costs.

How can I access the university's network drives from home?

With the introduction of eduVPN, employees at the University of Erfurt now have the option of accessing the university's network drives from their home offices. Centrally administered notebooks provide a corresponding ZEN application for this purpose. For self-administered devices, access is described on service web pages of the University Computer and Media Centre under the keyword "Selbstadministration".

+++ Attention: The University Computer and Media Centre has announced that the WebDAV service previously used by some university members for this purpose will be discontinued by the end of 2022 at the latest. We ask for your attention. +++

Are there any special working time/core time regulations for the working from home?

No, no separate regulations apply.

How will my working time be documented during the "extended Christmas break"?

As an employee on flexitime, please use the following correction form to document your working hours during the "extended Christmas break".

Is the post office open during the "extended Christmas break"?

Department 4: Facility Management has advised that the post office will be open up to and including December 23, 2022, and again in the New Year beginning January 2.

As a student, can I still work on campus during the "extended Christmas break"?

Yes. To compensate for the loss of work opportunities on campus due to the closure of the University Library on weekends until the end of the year, the University of Erfurt will allow students to use rooms 0007 and 0012 in the Audimax building and thus also the WLAN on campus. Starting January 2, 2023, workstations in the University Library will also be available again to the full extent.

During the "extended Christmas break", Music students will also be able to rehearse in the rooms on Puschkinstraße.

I have physical limitations due to which I need an appropriate room temperature. May I still heat my office at the University of Erfurt only up to 19 degrees?

No. If you have physical limitations where it is important to have a certain comfortable temperature at work, then they can set a correspondingly higher room temperature.

working from home checklist
  • Is my job basically suitable for a working frome home? (if necessary, consult with supervisor)
  • Do I have the necessary equipment (computer/laptop, webcam, headset, etc.)?
  • Have the necessary updates been made for my computer?
  • Can I be reached sufficiently during my working from home? (e.g. by mail, WebEx, telephone // if necessary, updating of data in the mail signature or in the electronic business card)
  • Do I have access to the network drives relevant to me? (if necessary, log in to EduVPN)
  • Can mail be left during my working from home time or should I ask someone to sift through it? (e.g. for deadline stuff)
     
  • Also: Is the heating turned down in my office on campus?
Tags: Energy crisis

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